From what I remember, the MD-11 failed to fulfill its projected capabilities of range vs payload and accordingly was not a cost effective aircraft. I think it has done quite well in the air cargo role because of its increased payload over the DC-10 and also because of its two-man cockpit. Im not sure but maybe this led to the development of the MD-10.

We have 8 in pax configuration and 3 freighters. If we could get our hands on some more freighters, they'd be sold tomorrow. Unfortunately, there's about a 9 month backlog in conversions from pax to cargo. For most of the long haul flying that they do, you need at least a 3 man crew. As a pax a/c they absolutely stink. They require a high degree of maintenance upkeep and as has been said earlier, their fuel burn is quite high for the payload that can be carried. Of course we do some pretty unique flying that only something like an MD-11ER can accomplish. The 777ER could beat the stage lengths now but the cost is far greater than what we leased the MD-11's for. AMC loves the planes because we can haul far greater payloads over longer distances than virtually anything else they can get their hands on. Even the UA 744's and Co 777's can't duplicate the payload, primarily because they're already in dual or triple configurations and have limited seating.

The MD-11 was the victim of McDonnell Douglas disease. That is spending little money as possible on the commercial line thinking that you by doing so you would have a higher profit margin. As history has shown by doing so MD doomed the MD-11 to commercial failure. If they had spent the money on a new wing, other aerodynamic improvements and possibly ever fly-by-wire the MD-11 might have been a sucses. Or at least they would have broke even.

The fly-by-cable system on the MD-11 rarely gives problems ( in almost two years working on this plane every day I never had one).
Problem areas are sloppily routed wiring and piping, e.g. causing hydraulic leaks through cracked pipes.
On point is e.g. the fuel quantity system, where there are often problems with the wiring inside the tanks (no danger of an explosion, these are only digital data lines with about 3 volts on them), causing delays for dipsticking.
The wiring/plumbing issues are adressed by various EOs, as I said most of them derive from sloppy work at the factory.
Another thing (but I´ve seen this problem on many modern "electronic" planes) is that the computers occasionaly get hung up (just like your PC at home). The typical fix is rebooting the computer by cycling power or the respective C/B.
Then the remote controlled circuit breakers for the fuel pumps are a PITA. They are essentially big relays in the AC bus cabinets in the center accessory compartment, which control the power to the boost and transfer pumps, so that the power wiring doesn´t have to be routed up to the cockpit. They occasionally tend to get stuck in the open position. I understand that this problem derives from the unit being the old DC-10 analog relays having been converted by adding some logic (flip flop etc) into a digital relay. They are just not very reliable, but on the other hand, the plane has a lot of redundacy.

Having a bit of experience on the MD-11, I´ve got to say that by now I can fix most problems on a turnaround without too much trouble and usually get the plane out on time.

I would like to have some input from other MD-11 maintenance/engineering people.

I agree with you about the RCCB's and the poorly made/designed hydraulic system on the MD-11. It makes for sure the need of a Hyd Swedging tool at your station a must. The rebooting is very common and by either down powering the a/c or resetting cb's cures many a "fault" displayed due to hung up computers.

We just rynglock swaged a new piece of pipe into a #2 hydraulic line on the rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer, right behind the elevator feel mechanism, in the aft accessory compartment last week. The reason was an improperly made permaswage swage, which was leaking whenever the 3-2 NRMP was powered.

Concerning the problem with hung computers, I´ve seen the same on B767s and 757s as well as A300s. The more computerised a plane becomes, the more often you´ve got these glitches.

MD-11 has had five hull losses for just 200 production aircraft. That's abnormally high considering recent trends in safety. One loss is attrubuted to the most unsafe airline in the world (Mandarin - China Airlines) which has destroyed at least one aircraft for every aircraft it has operated. (That said they have yet to crash a A333, A343 or 738.)

The 777 has zero hull losses and production airframes approaching 500.
That said I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid a MD-11 flight.
As for appearance, it's still my favorite airliner.

I tend to believe it's a successful airliner because 20 years down the line, the majority will still be hauling cargo while the early model A340 will be scrapped.

Daddad525
Yes, we do make money from them. AMC pays very, very well as does Sonair. The leases on 803 and 804 are virtually power by the hour so they're profitable too. We're one of a handfull of airlines that has shown a profit over the past 2 years and this year looks to be a record for us.

Yes, I agree that the Md11 was a plane in the wrong time. If MD could have re-modelled the DC10 after its' early history and made it profitable there may have been a chance. But we seem to say on this forum is...the future is freighters?

Ed whats with Clipper 002? That was a flight that went the wrong way round the world

When I mentioned fly-by-wire for the MD-11 I had weight savings more in mind than reliability. As far as systems go the flight control cables are the pretty the most reliable part of the aircraft. Just like you I have never really run into a problem with them.

Carpethead:

In the case of Swiss Air 111 the cause of the accident was traced to an in-flight entertainment system that was installed after the plane was delivered. In addition it was wired into 115VAC Bus 2 so when the pilots selected CABIN BUS off guess what, the system was still powered. Then there's the insulation that caught fire, the same type of insulation found in other types off aircraft at the time. The Manadarin Airlines MD-11 crashed after the crew decided to try and land in a tropical storm. Then there's the Fed Ex MD-11 at the bottom of Subic Bay because the crew landed a bit long.

Never take financial advice from co-workers.

25 Daddad525
: I agree with the forum; the MD11 came between the DC10/L1011 period and the maybe more refinded 767/777. Therefore it lost out. So the future must be,

26 B741
: Did they raise the one at the bottom of the bay? Also, there was an Alitalia MD-11 written off at JFK last year.

27 Daddad525
: Guess that a couple of hulls mean nothing. Ed on these pages has got the world at his feet. But Ed don't buy any that have that have ended up in the s

28 SLUAviator
: There are lots of things that led to the end of the MD-11, but the biggest was the nice big engine in the tail. It was designed in the era of the two

29 B741
: Yes, tomorrow is the last Swiss MD-11 flight. I think there was a post about it last month.

30 Dl757md
: MD11Engineer Do the MD-11s you work on have the upper and lower aux tanks and the aux tanks in the aft cargo bin like the longer range DL MD-11s? The

31 Cicadajet
: I remember a sarcastic comment from AA Management that they ought to paint their MD-11s blue (to match their ground equipment) as they had so much tro

32 MD11LuxuryLinr
: Finnair and KLM both will have then for some time. IIRC, KLM plans to keep them until either 2008 or 2012(?).. Sorry, I can't remember.

33 Daddad525
: So Ed. with only 3 airlines operating them through the decade, you shoukd get a good deal on any acquisitions. Jerry

34 Dakota
: A KLM MD-11-pilot told me a few weeks ago that they will have the type until 2012. KLM will replace the MD-11 gradually by the Boeing 777 and the A330

35 6thfreedom
: TG also has 4 MD11's. I understand that they plan to phase them out over the next 18 months, as they take delivery of B777 and A340's. TG has made som

36 Apollo13
: It was a very spacious aircraft. I was lucky to fly one of Deltas MD-11's when i was a freshman flying to france with my Marching Band. I will cry the

37 Clipper002
: Daddad525 Clipper 002 did indeed travel around the world to the East. Clipper 001 had the reverse pattern. The a/c assigned to 002 always came out of

38 Daddad525
: Ed- with the ideas put up, buy some freighters, buy soms pax and convert for 9-12 mths at a good price. In a year you will be winning. Jerry (Clippper

39 Clipper002
: Jerry, I agree completely. We have a BOD meeting today and tomrrow here in good old Peachtree City. Let you knpw what comes out of it. Ed